Keep Texans Talk Google Ad Free!
Venmo Tip Jar | Paypal Tip Jar
Thanks for your support! 🍺😎👍
Again, the Vols seemed to get insanely lucky at times during this game.
First off, that Kelcy Quarles that you posted, not Clowney.
Secondly -
0:10 - TE attempts to chip Clowney, but Clowney's speed makes the TE look like he's trying to tackle a ghost as Clowney gets a huge hit in the backfield.
0:40 - Looks like they had the right guard pull and surprise Clowney and move him around while the RB runs behind him before being tackled for a short gain. At this point, Richardson has not engaged Clowney 1v1.
0:50 - Here, Clowney swims past Richardson so quickly that the left tackle is actually stuck staring at the ground for a second; luckily for the RB, despite Clowney swimming so hard that there wasn't even time for a double-team, the left guard is able to push him aside at the last second. It's the exact play Brett Kollmann pointed out in his breakdown on Clowney, which I guess you didn't read despite my linking it last time. Clowney absolutely embarassed Richardson on that play.
0:59 - Clowney AGAIN swims right past Richardson before the double-team can be set, and the entire snap involved the southern-most Tight End running up to Clowney and chipping him from the other side while being blocked by the left guard. That's right: the entire point of the play was to have three people blocking Clowney, and one of those was a blindsite block.
1:13 - Here, Richardson gets a slight chip on Clowney from the tight end but is able to hold him in place; a good play by Richardson.
1:22 - This play? Not so much. Richardson again lunges at Clowney, who side steps him so quickly and is in the backfield blowing up the running back almost immediately.
1:47 - Passing play; Clowney pushes Richardson back but ultimately Richardson keeps Clowney in place aside from Clowney jumping to potentially knock the pass down. The QB throws it a bit higher than he probably intends and it's incomplete.
2:03 - In what is probably the dumbest thing I've seen Tennessee do so far, they have the QB drift towards Clowney's side of the field. Clowney, of course, responds by immediately beating Richardson outside and getting chipped by the RB and getting within an arm's length of the QB, who forces a bad throw and is incomplete.
2:10 - Clowney AGAIN swims immediately past Richardson before the double-team (or what looks like one, on first view) can be completed, getting blocked temporarily by the guard before the QB throws to the other side of the field. On second view, it appears that the left guard is just trying to handle Clowney because Richardson got beat so badly and not because of a double team being planned.
2:20 - Clowney is double-teamed by LT + LG; he's able to bench Richardson off of him and share a tackle-for-loss with his teammate, #20. It's Clowney's third tackle-for-loss on the day at this point, and it's still the first quarter.
2:37 - Another pass; Richardson gets a little help from the LG but otherwise does a good job of Clowney, who goes a little too high out of his stance. QB's pass is ultimately incomplete.
2:43 - The play (a passing one) is rendered null, ultimately, by a false start by Richardson who kicks out a good two seconds early, but you can see that he was about to receive help in the form of a chip by the RB if the play had continued.
2:56 - Same play as last time, with Clowney being blocked by Richardson while being chipped by the RB, who goes off to run a hot route. Clowney still pushes Richardson to within an arm's reach of the QB, who runs off while Clowney gets shoved to the ground by Richardson.
3:09 - Clowney momentarily blocked by Richardson while they pass the ball over them to get a screen play going, but it ultimately goes for a loss. Richardson gets called for an Illegal Formation for not being on the line of scrimmage.
3:33 - Clowney is double-teamed by Richardson and the tight end while the ball is run away from him.
3:45 - Richardson keeps Clowney in place while the RB runs by.
4:01 - Richardson gets pushed back by Clowney before getting help from the LG; the QB gets the pass out too quickly for it to be of consequence, however.
4:10 - Clowney starts to beat Richardson outside but the QB again gets the pass out too quickly for it to matter.
4:17 - Richardson blocks Clowney while ball is run away from him; they haven't run to his side since very early in the game.
4:25 - Clowney beats Richardson outside but is held (not called by refs) but again the QB gets the ball out almost immediately. Very similar to what San Diego was doing to the defense in week 1: focus heavily on quick passing to reduce the pass rush's effectiveness.
4:40 - Clowney beats Richardson inside almost immediately, but by chance blocked by the right tackle pushing Clowney's teammate into him while the running back goes around them.
5:25 - Richardson keeps Clowney blocked but the running play is stuffed at the LoS.
5:37 - Richardson gets help from LG in blocking Clowney and almost a chip by the RB; QB is pressured by the right DE but still throws a TD pass off his back foot. Really lucky break for the Vols.
5:46 - Note that at this point it was 10:15 when the Vols scored the TD and by the time of this play it is 8:36, meaning the Gamecock offense must've gone three-and-out and not giving Clowney and the defense time to rest. On this play, Clowney is being blocked just by Richardson but bull-rushes him almost into the QB, who again gets the quick pass off for a very short gain to the tight end.
5:55 - Clowney is blocked by Richardson while the RB goes past him.
6:03 - Clowney beats Richardson outside and the RB tries to chip him while the QB gets the pass off and is somehow pulled it. Tennessee got a couple of lucky plays during the game and this was one of them.
6:17 - For the next few plays, Clowney drops back rather than engage the offensive line, making a tackle after a long run by the RB.
6:49 - Clowney swims the Tight End trying to block himwhile the RB runs it in for a touchdown.
6:55 - When Tennessee last had the ball, the game clock said 6:11 or so; at the start of this play, there are only 54 seconds left in the half, meaning Clowney had time to rest at this point. He's left unblocked and immediately plants the RB, who somehow lets the ball go but it is ruled as a forward pass by the refs.
8:01 - Third quarter at this point. Clowney swims Richardson (he's seriously reminding me of Watt with the number of times he swims people and with how effective it is) and helps make a tackle on the RB.
8:17 - Richardson can't block Clowney and has to move him up the field while the pass is thrown away from them.
8:28 - THIS is the play people who question Clowney's effort need to watch. Clowney squirts through the gap before Richardson can even do anything, but lands on his hands and knees. He proceeds to lunge on all fours after the QB and eventually the RB, who runs away from Clowney. That's not the effort of someone who is taking his last season off for a big payday, and Brett points out as much in his breakdown.
8:48 - Richardson tries to get his hands on Clowney, but Clowney brushes him off while the sweep play goes away from him. Did I mention that they haven't run any plays towards him in awhile? The last time they did, the Vols offense was pushing on a tired Gamecock defense, but whenever Clowney is fresh they don't risk it. That's an offense-warping talent on the other side of the ball by reputation alone, and it shows.
8:59 - Again Richardson tries to get his hands on Clowney and again Clowney brushes him off.
9:10 - Clowney bullrushes Richardson back but is gets an assist from the LG.
9:22 - Clowney splits the double team but is chipped by the RB while the QB throws the ball away from Clowney.
9:39 - Clowney bullrushes Richardson, QB gets pass off before Clowney can reach.
9:50 - Clowney left unblocked, again blows up the RB in the backfield. Well, he technically misses the tackle, but about 4-5 Gamecock defenders decide to spot him for it.
10:08 - Clowney is pushed upfield by Richardson by the RB goes past them, but is ultimately tackled at the LoS.
10:18 - Richardson gets help from the RB while Clowney pushes them both upfield, forcing a bad pass from the QB towards the sideline. It is too low and is ultimately dropped by the receiver.
10:47 - Clowney gets pushed upfield by Richardson, but the Gamecock defense leaves a gaping whole on Clowney's side and the QB, pressured from behind by another player, makes a long run.
10:59 - Richardson blocks Clowney (along with what seems like a chip by the LG), but the QB quickly passes the ball on a bad snap away from them.
11:30 - Clowney immediately swims Richardson (this is becoming a theme...), but is met by the chipping tight end while the ball is actually being run the other way on a sweep (cool little play). The play ultimately goes for a loss, however.
11:40-ish - Clowney switches to the right side for a few plays here.
12:47 - Back to the left side. Clowney has to be pushed upfield again by Richardson while the QB passes away from them quickly. Their success with this quick passing is up and down; while they are neutralizing the Gamecock pass rush to an extent, the passes are often dropped or defended quickly.
12:55 - Clowney is blocked by Richardson, who gets an assist from a chipping RB. Clowney uses an inside spin move and you can see Richardson holding a fistful of Clowney's jersey. Clowney's pressure forces the QB to throw the ball away.
13:04 - Clowney isn't engaging Richardson here, instead standing up and blitzing up the middle like a linebacker. The QB, with Clowney and another defender in his face, throws a long bomb that ends up being caught one-handed by the WR while he is falling down. I can't help but shake my head when you consider the teams South Carolina went on to beat. If they don't lose here (or get unfairly dropped for only barely beating UCF, who went on to let everyone know just how good they were this year) you potentially have South Carolina going to the SECCG and perhaps the NCG this year. I hate seeing the worse team win when it basically comes down to luck. Ugh.
13:15-ish - The Gamecock defense decided to have Clowney drop back more here for some reason (I really hate how they decided to get all cute during this game, especially having Clowney try and cover during the Wisconsin game), allowing the Vols to get some bigger runs off. Just a waste of Clowney's ability in the trenches.
13:35 - Clowney tries to swim Richardson, though Tony finally seems to have gotten the hang of it and keeps him in place. Clowney responds with a spin move as the tight end comes in to chip, at which point Clowney stops because the RB has been stuffed at the LoS.
13:43 - Richardson does something I've never seen him do for the entire game, which is push Clowney back (technically he gets him while Clowney is going outside). The RB goes between the LT and LG and gets a first down.
With some exceptions, all of those were times Clowney directly engaged Richardson (or vice versa) during the game.
So, just to be clear, when you say Richardson 'handled him all game without any help', did you by chance mean 'got beat a whole lot, stopped Clowney at times, but got a whole lot of help throughout the game'? Because that's pretty much all that happened.
Please stop trying to make stupid claims about Clowney; you obviously have NO idea what you are talking about. Or do, because then I get to obsess over film for an hour and remind myself why I want this guy at first overall.
'Handled him without help'? Goodness, don't quit your day job. Yeesh.
Oh I don't think there's much doubt that he's the best talent in this years Draft, I'm seeing a lot of analysts saying he's the best Dline prospect coming out of college this century (so far). Now there's some relatively minor off field issues, but the big question when it comes to Draft priorities is how badly does your team need a QB and what's your rating of the current batch.
I meant to say DE and of course Suh is an inside guy. But Suh was very highly rated coming out and oh yea, I too saw him wreck UT in the Big 12 championship game which was one of the top college performances ever by any defensive player.
Which I'm predicting will be the case between Michigan's Taylor and J. Matthews, who seems to get raving reviews and predictions as a potential franchise LT despite having 2nd rate feet which is what sets
